Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

UK rolls Montana State 86-28

Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns, back, blocks a shot by Montana State guard Michael Dison in the first half. The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ(Photo: Jonathan Palmer / Jonathan Palmer)

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For more than 13 minutes of play spanning halftime and extending past the midway point of the second half, Montana State's standing on the Rupp Arena scoreboard was locked and lowly: 11.

The Bobcats produced a modicum of offense after that but still finished buried under the long arms of top-ranked Kentucky, 86-28 on Sunday night. It was the fewest points by a UK opponent since the inception of the shot clock as the Wildcats overwhelmed a team that at times struggled to get the ball past half court or get off a shot.

"It looks great that we let the opponent score a record-low points, but that's just the bottom," UK's Karl-Anthony Towns said. "We've still got a lot to go to get to the top."

It's hard to imagine UK (5-0) could play much better defense, even though Montana State (0-4) was outmanned at every turn.

The Bobcats were blocked as many times (12) as they made field goals while shooting 19.7 percent from the floor. They went 2 of 23 from 3-point range, had no player score more than seven points and totaled just four assists.

Montana State had 21 turnovers, including 14 in the first half while facing a vicious full-court press. The Wildcats were whistled for just eight personal fouls, leading to only two Montana State free throws.

"I love how we defended," coach John Calipari said. "We didn't look at the score. We just worried about each possession, and that's what you have to do in games like this."

He added: "We sustained, defensively, for the entire time."

Devin Booker scored 18 points to lead a strong effort by UK's second unit as Calipari continued his system of five-for-five "platoon" substitutions. Aaron Harrison added 14 points, including 12 in the second half, and Dakari Johnson had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Kentucky handcuffed the Bobcats before and after intermission, upping a 39-11 halftime lead to 65-11. The Bobcats didn't score in the second half until Marcus Colbert's basket with 9:36 to play, ending a 29-0 UK run of 13 minutes, 12 seconds.

"We never really looked at our points … but we really looked at the opponent's only and saw 11," said Towns, who had eight points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. "We wanted to keep it at 11. If you see video of us on the bench and them scoring those 12th and 13th points … we were very upset. We really wanted to keep them to zero for the whole half."

UK still wound up with its fifth-largest margin of victory since the shot clock began in the 1985-86 season, and Montana State's 11 first-half points were the fewest in the opening period by a UK opponent in nearly 10 years.

"We just want to be one of the best defensive teams ever; I know that's a big statement," Booker said.

UK's only misstep was a curious start in which the Cats absolutely dominated on defense but couldn't hit a thing on offense.

Montana State had four turnovers and only got the ball past halfcourt once for the first two minutes, and it didn't get a shot off until Colbert's basket gave the Bobcats a 2-1 lead at the 17:45 mark.

But UK's starters went 0 of 7 before Calipari's first set of substitutions when the Bobcats inexplicably held their 2-1 lead. UK started 0 for 10 overall, but the second platoon quickly picked up the offensive slack.

Booker and Tyler Ulis each hit a three during a segment of five-plus minutes as UK took a 14-4 lead.

After three more minutes, that second platoon returned to increase the lead to 34-9 at the 3:51 mark as Ulis and Booker each canned another three.

"(The starters) were getting the shots they wanted, but they just wouldn't fall," Booker said. "… But they were locking down defensively. … We just got in and knocked down the same shots that they got."

"Somebody told me the other day that Kentucky was the eight-tallest team in the country, including the NBA," Montana State coach Brian Fish said. "It's hard to simulate that length."

Dominique Hawkins started in place of Alex Poythress, who missed his second straight game with an illness, but Calipari said Poythress would practice Monday and be ready to play Tuesday night against Texas-Arlington.

UK could afford to be less than full strength against Montana State, which was rated No. 329 among 351 NCAA Division I teams by KenPom.com and lost by 16 to a Grand Canyon team that UK defeated by 40.